Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 746,811. PATENTED DEG.15,1903.

A. H. FRANCFORT.

AGBTYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

LPPLIOATION FILED OCT. 9, 1901. H0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented December 15, 1903.

PATENT I OFFICE.

ALFRED HENRY FRANOFORT, OF GRANDVIElV-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO J. B. COLT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ACE TYLEN E-GAS G EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 746,811, dated December '15, 1903.

Application filed October 9, 1901. Serial 1W0. 78,050- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED HENRY FRANC- FORT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Grandview-on-Hudson, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators.

It relates especially to that class of generators known as wet-process generator-s viz., those in which the carbid is fed'into the water in a more or less subdivided state.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a feeding device for handling carbid in all the sizes as manufactured commercially which shall be cheap in construction, simple and efiicient in operation, and obviate many of the inconveniences in present generators. I accomplish this object by providing my improved generator with an automatic feed in the shape of a circular drum having an automatically-operating valve, the said drum being mounted eccentrically on its axis.

In the drawings; Figure-Lie an elevation, partly in section and showing a small portion of the gasometer; Fig. 2, an elevation, also partially in section, the section being. at right angles to that of Fig.1; Fig. 3, a detail of the manner of admitting the carhid from the hopper into the circular feed, and Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the opera-' tion of feeding the carbid'into the water.

Referring to the drawings, A is the waterreceptacle supplied with liquid by the pipe B; O, the hopper that feeds the carbid into the eccentrically-balanced feeding-drum D.

E is a valve, shown in the shape of a door or shutter, swinging on a pivot F.

G is the axis on which the feeding-drum revolves, having at its outer end a'handle H, which is worked by the movements of the bell J of the-gasometer K through the intermediation of the arm I, attached to the hell.

L is a casing inclosing the drum and direct-' ing the carbid into the water, at the same time acting as a seal, The lower portion of the carbid-hopper enterin'g'the feeding-drum at an angle, a section through it at its en-' trance forms an ellipse M. As this would be the receptacle D partially full.

an inconvenient shape to feed through when the drum was revolving, the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is adopted. To the wall of the casing L is fastened a circular metal strip N, which is brought in through a circular opening into the feeding-drum, a space being cut out of one side of the drum D to admit it. This makes a circular opening for the carhid of a diameter about the same as the major axis of the elliptical opening M. To keep the drum away from the casing L and allow it to revolve, a wire 0 or similar arrangement is attached, as shown in Fig. 3. That the feed of the carbid from the hopper may be perfectly free and no angles presented for collecting car-bid, the under side of hopper O is carried in, as shown in Fig.3.

' In orderthat the vapor of the water may not attack the carbid in the feeding-drum, the valve E is provided with a layer of rubber or similar suitable material Y on its under side, thereby when closed forming practically-a moisture-proof joint. This is not an absolute necessity, though preferred, since the drum will feed the same if the valve he not present.

The operation is as follows: Garbid being placed in the hopper, it runs down and fills The drum being eccentrically balancedfithe center of gravity will always be below the point of support G, and this will tend to keep the valve 'E'in its topmost position and closed. When now the gasometer-bell descends and the arm I contacts with the crank H on the axis G, the feeding-drumwill be tilted, as shown in Fig; 4, the valveE will. open and discharge gradually the carbid into the water. As soon as this takes place gas begins to generate, passes into the gasometer, the bell rises, and the u n balanced weight of carbid immediately acts tobring thevalve E to its upper position, and this stops the flow of carbid and closes the valve untilsuch time as the fall of the gasometer-bellrepeats the operation. By noticing the amount of are described by the crank H the amount of carbid in thedru m can be determined. If it describes only a small arc, the drum is well filled. If a larger are, it shows the supply of carbid is getting exhausted. The casing L besides forming an inclosure for the feeding-drum also serves as a seal. When the carbid has been acted upon by the water, a certain amount of the gas will rise and fill the casing L, forcing down the water in the lower part thereof. If now the hopper be opened, all the gas that can escape is that within the casing, the water then forming a seal.

The ad vantage of my machine is that I can take commerciallymanufactured carbid that is, carbid varying in size from one-half inch to three inches. This size gives a better yield per pound of carbid than can be attained by those machines limited to asmallsized carbid, the latter being more exposed to the action of the air and deterioration in handling. Other methods of feeding, such as by screws, require breaking up the carbid to a standard size, and such feeds are liable to become clogged. Moreover, such feeds jam and crunch the carbid and cause great inconvenience besides being an element of danger and to a considerable extent exposing the carbid to the action of the water-vapor.

Having thus fully described and illustrated my invention, What I claim is 1. A feed for acetylene-generators consisting of a hollow carbid-receptacle eccentrically balanced and having an automaticallyoperating valve for supplying the carbid to the liquid, substantially as set forth.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator the combination of an eccentrically-balanced carbidreceptacle, having an automatic valve, and means for operating the balanced receptacle through the rise and fall of the gasometerbell, substantially as set forth.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator, an eccentrically-hung carbid-feeding device adapted to be actuated in one direction by the weight of the carbid, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an acetylene-gas generator, an eccentrically-hung carbid-feeding device constructed to be actuated in one direction by the Weight of the carbid, and operative connections for actuating the device in the other die rectiou by the movement of the gas-bell, for 

